This invention relates to fireplace structures, and in particular to a prefabricated fireplace construction for mobile homes.
Prefabricated fireplace units such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,190,281 and 3,241,546 are particularly adapted for mounting in existing building walls. As with conventional brick fireplaces, when such units have a fire burning therein, air is drawn from the room and exhausted up through the flue into the outside atmosphere, thereby creating an air current in the room. This air current action creates a slight vacuum in the room or building in which the fireplace unit is located, and outside air therefor enters the room to equalize the pressure differential between the inside and outside of the room. Although this flow of outside air into the room in conventional fireplaces often creates a cool and rather uncomfortable draft, and further constitutes a source of inefficient energy usage, in conventionally constructed buildings this phenomenon does not result in any substantial safety hazard, inasmuch as the volume of air in the building is usually very large, and the outside air may freely enter the room about windows, doors, and other similar crevices and passageways.
Mobile homes have become increasingly popular for both residential and business purposes. To achieve thermal efficiency and yet maintain a relatively low weight, and compact size and design, mobile homes are typically constructed in a relatively air-tight fashion. Because of their compact design, and air-tight construction, it has heretofore been impracticable to install a fireplace unit in a mobile home in view of several substantial safety hazards. Governmental and independent inspection agencies for consumer products, such as H.U.D. and Underwriters Laboratories, have been unwilling to approve such fireplace units for mobile homes installation, unless it could be demonstrated that the unit would not draw any appreciable amount of air from inside the mobile home, and is otherwise safe in operation.
The principle objects of the present invention are: to provide a prefabricated fieplace construction for mobile homes having a fluid duct for drawing air from the outside atmosphere into a firebox portion thereof for supporting combustion therein whereby substantially no inside air is drawn from the room; to provide such a fireplace construction which is lightweight and may be located in contact with combustible supporting building materials without fire danger; to provide such a fireplace construction wherein outside air is drawn into the firebox for supporting combustion by thermal siphoning; to provide such a fireplace construction wherein the outside air is directed into the firebox in a continuous uniform fashion for complete and even burning of the fuel; to provide such a fireplace construction including closures for the firebox opening whereby outside air is prevented from entering the room when the unit is not in use; and to provide such a fireplace construction which is efficient in use, capable of a long operating life, and particularly well adapted for the proposed use.
Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein are set forth, by way of illustration and example, certain embodiments of this invention.